With the move to adjusted alert Level 4 restrictions, the Western Cape Government has indicated that it is ready to upscale its response including its vaccine and hospital facilities to ensure that the lives of our residents are protected. However, these restrictions appear to have been drafted without considering the lessons learned previously and the impact on both health and economic concerns.
We welcome the escalation of these issues by our government, including MECs Maynier, Meyer and Marais. Key concerns at this time which require immediate action from national government include:
Amending the regulations to allow for the transport of wine, for bottling purposes or by tourists, alongside the sale of wine online so that a key industry in the Western Cape might be protected.
National government should also reinstate the UIF TERS Benefit Scheme so that these restrictions would not spell the end for thousands of businesses – such as restaurants, theatres, liquor establishments – in the Western Cape. TERS benefits could be the lifeline that businesses need after more than a year of interrupted business activities.
Regulations should allow for limited access to libraries in the province to allow residents to use the broadband and computer facilities to register for the vaccine. This is particularly important for rural and low income communities where access to technology may be limited, and it is now even more critical with the rise of the third wave and opening of registrations for residents of 50 years and older. As of the 25th of June, more than 7,000 residents had used public libraries to register for the vaccine.
We will continue to monitor the situation and await feedback from national government on the calls from our provincial government. As the DA in the Western Cape, we are regrettably unsurprised that cabinet in Pretoria has yet again imposed restrictions without due consideration to both lives and livelihoods; analysis of past trends; and common sense for the impact of these regulations on residents across the country.
Ultimately, after 15 months under the National Disaster Regulations which included four liquor bans and various level of lockdown restrictions, residents should not find themselves in this position. That is why we urge the national government to allow further walk-ins at vaccination sites for qualifying residents in order see us make further gains towards population immunity. I also call on residents across the province to assist those in their community to register for the vaccine.
In the last year, the Western Cape Government has increase bed capacity across the province, distributed R38 million to nearly 250 small businesses and has stepped in by allocating R25 million for food relief programmes when the Covid-19 Social Relief Distress Grant came to an end in April. While the vaccine procurement by the national government continues to be riddled with problems, our communities and businesses will remain in a holding pattern.
